Receptacle for storing alcoholic liquors.



PATENTED APR. 24, 1906 S. SHWAYDER. RECEPTAOLE FOR STORING ALCOHOLICLIQUORS.

APPLICATION FILED 11118.23. 1904.

I H mm H II P I l'lgllll 1 I 50/0 fiifia a/er 7 v V715 ATTORNEY IL IUNiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

r RECEPTACLE FOR STORING ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 24, 1906.

Application filed February 23, 1904. Serial No. 194,911.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SOLOMON SHWAYDER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Denver, in the county of Denver and State of Colorado, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Receptacles for StoringAlcoholic Liquors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to receptacles employed in storing whisky, rum,brandy, gin, or other spirituous liquors after the have been tapped fromthe barrel, special reference being had to bottles or jugs in which saidliquors are retailed to the consumer.

Most all alcoholic liquors before being ready for consumption have to gothrough a process of aging or maturing. During the course of thisprocess, which mainly consists in storing the liquor in charred barrelsand which often extends over a period of several years, the spiritschange from a disagreeablysmelling and highly-intoxicating body intocompound others which are both a rant and harmless, and it is awell-known fact t rat the longerrne period of maturing is extended themore healthful and palatable the spirits become. This is especially thecase with whisky, which when new is rank, strong, and unpalatable andwhich constantly acquires smoothness and ripeness with age as long as itis stored in barrels. It has been observed, however, that the moment theliquor is drawn off the barrels into bottles the process of maturingceases, and whisky or any other liquor stored this way does not improvewith age, no matter how long it ma be kept. As it is in most casesimpracticab e to retain the liquor in the barrels over a certain lengthof time, most liquors are tapped off into bottles or other vessels in animperfect state, and what would have been a highly-flavored nutritiousarticle if kept in the wood is placed on the market in an inferiorcondition, in which it will remain indefinitely.

The object of my invention is to produce receptacles so constructed thatalcoholic liquors contained therein will continue to age and matureafter the have left the-barrels, with the result that tfie liquors, evenif they be stored in bottles, will constantly improve with age, andconsequently become more valuable. I attain these objects by themechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawin s, in which igure 1 1sa vertical section taken through mvdevicqwhich is constructed intheshape of a bottle; Fig. 2, an enlarged vertical section through thedetachable receptacle shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 plan view of same.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout thevarious views.

In order to more clearly explain the utility of my device, it will benecessary to briefly describe the process used in producingalcoholicliquors. For the sake of brevity I will limit myselfto thedescription of the process of distilling whisky, my invention beingadapted to be used for other liquors without any essential alterations.

The grain or corn of which the whisky is to be made, after having beenground is mashed by mixture With-water and heating, after which it isfermented in Wooden tanks. This part of the process is one of the mostdifficult steps in the manufacture of 7 5 whisky and invariablyresultsin the roduction of so-called fusel-oil, which 0 all the substancescontained in unmatured whisky is without doubt the most objectionableone. Fusel-oil, which is a volatile oily liquid of a nauseous fierytaste and smell, consists of a number of elements, some of which aredesirable, as during the process of aging theyundergo a change whichimparts to the whisky its characteristic aroma, while its other con- 8 5stituents if permitted to remain in the liquor would render it unfit foruse. It is therefore a matter of prime importance that means should beemployed to eliminate the objectionable elements of the fusel-oil, aswell as other substances, the presence of-which renders the liquorworthless for the trade,and to convert the desirable constituents of theoil into beneficial elements, as explained hereinabove. Many experimentshave been made 5 to accomplish this object, the most successful of whichhas been the method which is still employed, the filtration of theliquor through granulated charcoal and subsequent storing of thepurified whisky in charred barrels. Charcoal has been proven to be asplendid agent for clarifying whisky and other iquors. It sweetensbad-smelling spirits, removes the bitterness from hops and ale, makesportwine light-colored, and renders such other services as make itsvalue to the distiller immeasurable. On these facts I have based therinciple of my invention, which consists of t e introduction of charcoalor any other matunfiga'gfiifitflile vessels in which the liquors are tobe stored, as will hereinafter be described.

5 designates an ordinary'bottle provided with an integralupwardly-extending hollow boss 6, the inside of which has been providedwith screw-thread. A cylindrical receptacle 7, the diameter of which issufficiently small to allow its introduction through the mouth of thebottle, is provided at its lower extremitv with a threaded extension 7,by means of which it is secured to boss 6. The opposite extremity 7.hasbeen s uared for the appliance of a wrench to facilitate the placing ofthe cylinder inside the bottle. Cylinder 6, which is preferably made ofporcelain or other material not affected by alcohol, is hollow andperforated along its entire extent. It is open at the bottom, thusallowing the introduction of a maturing agent, the opening in practicebeing closed by means of a stopper 8. The maturing agent referred to ispreferably composed of granulated charcoal, as being best adapted for mypurpose,

for the reasons hereinabove explained.

The construction as described allows the whisky to come at all times incontact with the charcoal, (more so when the bottle is being movedabout,) at the same time preventing the charcoal from mixing with theliquor. The receptacle 7 containing the charcoal may be removed at anytime and new material inserted therein, if so desired.

When the barrel used for maturing the whisky is charred, it will befound that the charred surface has beneath it a thin brown layer whichcontains a coloring-matter solu ble in whisky and which imparts to thelatter a rich amber shade, which deepens with the lapse of time. Inorder to give the liquor stored in my receptacle the benefit of thiscondition, pieces of charred wood may be inserted in cylinder 7 in placeof the charcoal heretofore referred to.

It will be understood that I may change the form and relative positionof the various parts comprising my device without departing from theprinciple involved in my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A vessel forretailing alcoholic liquors, comprising a receptacle provided on itsinside with a threaded boss, a perforated receptacle secured to saidboss and adapted to receive a maturin a ent, substantially as described.

vessel for retailing alcoholic liquors, comprising a suitablereceptacle, a perforated smaller receptacle secured on the inside of thefirst named receptacle and adapted to contain a maturing agent,substantially as described.

I testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

SOLOMON SHWAYDER.

Witnesses:

M. G. KOBEY, J. SIIWAYDER.

